Pregnant
Pregnants are one of the larger breeds of Necromorphs encountered in Dead Space. They are named as such due to the enormous sac that extrudes from their abdomens, the contents of which are other, smaller forms of Necromorphs which burst forth when the sac is damaged. Pregnants have also been known to, when heavily damaged, claw open their own abdominal sacs in order to release their spawn. They initially host Swarmers but, in later chapters of the game, Pregnants carry deadlier payloads of creatures including Lurkers and their enhanced versions, along with small creatures composed of miscellaneous body parts, identical to those that come from Dividers. If the Pregnant is indeed the result of a pregnant woman, then it may be possible that the spawn produced by the Pregnant upon bursting varies on development of the baby inside of it at the time of its transformation into a Necromorph. In addition to the ability to spawn other Necromorphs, Pregnants possess large, biological scythes that are attached to each arm, which are used to slash and rend an opponent in the same manner as Slashers. Their weight hinders their speed so they aren't as fast as Slashers, but they can move at a brisk enough pace to out-walk Isaac when they are determined. Pregnants, unlike most Necromorphs, do not commonly travel in packs, however they do prefer the company of other Necromorphs and, unlike the Lurkers, they can really cause havoc when they have Slashers or other Necromorph forms accompanying them. If an attacker is unwary, they could rupture the Pregnant with a crowd clearing weapon by accident and make things even worse for themselves. However, if handled calmly and precisely, they won't be too great a threat. They are first encountered in Chapter 3: Course Correction, in the Engine Room, but X-rays of them can be found in the BioLab, indicating attempts were made to understand their anatomy. Strategy * Pregnants are like suicide soldiers. They want Isaac to shoot them in the abdomen (it's really big - one juicy target indeed and really easy to damage) and unleash their spawn on him. Your best bet is to take out their arms. The Pregnant's legs are small and tough to hit without hitting the stomach instead. It's a better idea to go for its arms with precise weapons. Just remember, don't panic. * It is possible for a Pregnant to claw its stomach open after weakened, usually due to a dismembered limb, releasing its payload of smaller Necromorphs. If one stops and raises its claws in the air, use stasis and kill it as quickly as possible (this never happens should you cut off it's legs (the Line Gun is the best bet)). * Like all Necromorphs, it is a good idea to use Stasis on Pregnants. This gives you plenty of time to pick off their arms, legs, or heads, without worrying about them getting too close. * Note that if you shoot its head off, the Pregnant will behave much like a Slasher in that it will flail wildly with its scythe-like arms, possibly hitting other Necromorphs near them. * If you do decide to go for the legs, your best bet is a horizontally-set Plasma Cutter - or a Line Gun, if you aim low enough. * Another idea is to use the Force Gun at a distance. This will stun the Pregnant, and will eventually kill it. This does, of course, involve a risk of the Pregnant releasing its payload, so use caution. * Like most Necromorphs, Pregnants will die if you sever their arms. Those should be your main attention. And whatever you do... avoid the stomach at all costs. *If the player does happen to shoot the stomach, its best to kill its payload when it first emerges from the Pregnant's body. This is most easily done with the Force Gun's Alternative fire. * It is not advisable to melee a pregnant's limbs off. You could easily hit the pregnant's stomach by accident, thus releasing it's payload. Using stasis beforehand could lessen the danger of this. *Once slain, a Pregnant can no longer release its payload. All the more reason to drop them first, whenever possible. *A very useful tactic is to shoot it in the head. If it is still alive, shoot at it's limbs which are quite large. Trivia *It is unknown whether Pregnants are male, female, or even some bizarre combination of both. *Pregnants can release up to two Lurkers instead of Swarmers upon death. This is rare, only happening in the last few chapters. *Pregnants can survive having their payloads released and continue to attack the player much as they would before being damaged. This is more common on the higher difficulties. *It has also been known (though rarely throughout the game) The Pregnants may release the appendages that the Dividers drop when slain. *A recent wallpaper from the Dead Space 2 website shows Isaac Clarke fighting off hundreds of Necromorphs, and one of them is a Pregnant. This means that the Pregnant returns in Dead Space 2. Death Scenes The Pregnants have 2 death scenes for Isaac, although one of them is not often considered as a "pregnant death scene" because the ones who kill Isaac are actually their spawn. Note: The second video portrays a group of Swarmers killing Isaac, sans Pregnant. *If Isaac's health is critical, the Pregnant will slash one of his limbs off, or even bisect him at waist height. *The latter sequence is brought on if Isaac shoots the Pregnant's abdominal sac. Doing this will unleash the Swarmers, which will bite Isaac to death if the player does not follow the context-sensitive button/key prompt to shake them off. On Impossible, Swarmers are a death sentence even if you're at full health. If you're lucky, you'll survive with a bare sliver of health. thumb|left|200px|Pregnant Death thumb|right|200px|Swarmer Death Gallery Image:Necromorph pregnant.jpg|Isaac faces off against a charging Pregnant. File:Pregnant_1.png|Isaac fighting off a Pregnant File:Pregnant_Concept_Art.jpg|Pregnant Concept Art pregnant_textured.jpg|game render Appearances *''Dead Space'' *''Dead Space: Downfall'' *''Dead Space: Extraction'' *Dead Space 2 Sources Category:Necromorphs